2nd March 2008
Why is it so difficult to find out what children’s
working conditions were really like?
In the 19th century many children faced the dangers of work in the factories and mines. As the demand for goods increased, more and more children were employed. As there were a lot of children, there were many sources that tell us about work conditions in the factories and mines. But it is not always easy to find out what they were really like.
One source in the 19th century historians depended on was the interviews. Sources like these have been reliable, as the facts have been stated that these are real children and the book has been titled, so you can find this book and check for truth. But the problem with interviews is that they include their biased view and ask leading questions that they knew would get a certain kind of answer and the answers they got could’ve been the worst examples to include in their interview. Interviews were a unreliable and untrustworthy source. An example of this source is the extract taken from the Report of the Select Committee of Factory Children’s Labour 1831-32. It’s clearly produced by a factory reformer because otherwise the leading questions would’ve been leading towards nice answers that gave the factories good reviews.
